MACCLESFIELD'S hopes of earning automatic promotion took a battering at Lincoln with a two-goal defeat to the Cheshire side's bogey team.

The game turned on 25 seconds of football in the 69th minute, Jon Parkin brilliantly picking out Mark Bailey at the far post only for Alan Marriott to snatch his header and release Simon Yeo on the attack.

Yeo flew forward forcing Steve Wilson to parry a fierce shot across his goal where Francis Green buried the rebound.

All that happened while Matthew Tipton was off the field with a bloody head wound.

Macc dominated the opening stages with Mark Bailey twice picking out Matthew Tipton only for the skipper to fail with his conversions.

Parkin also should have done better when clean through in the 14th minute.

They were made to pay when Yeo picked out Richard Butcher to slot home in the 33rd minute. Even at two down Macclesfield tried desperately go get back into the game, Tipton hitting a volley straight at Marriott and Parkin poking a volley inches over the bar.